Roraiman nightjar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roraiman nightjar |
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| Illustration by Keulemans, 1892 | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family: | Caprimulgidae |
| Genus: | Setopagis |
| Species: |
S. whitelyi
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| Binomial name | |
| Setopagis whitelyi (Salvin, 1885)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Roraiman nightjar (Setopagis whitelyi) is a special kind of bird that flies mostly at night. It's part of the nightjar family, known for their amazing camouflage and unique calls. You can find this bird in parts of South America, specifically in Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.
Contents
About Its Name
Have you ever wondered how animals get their scientific names? The Roraiman nightjar was first named Anstrotomus whitelyi. Later, scientists grouped it with other birds in the Caprimulgus family. Since the early 2010s, it has been placed in its current group, called Setopagis. This bird is also monotypic, which means it's the only species in its group.
What It Looks Like
The Roraiman nightjar is about 21 to 22.4 centimeters (8 to 9 inches) long. That's about the length of a standard pencil!
- Male birds weigh between 30 to 40 grams (1 to 1.4 ounces).
- Female birds are a bit heavier, weighing 45 to 48 grams (1.6 to 1.7 ounces).
Male nightjars have blackish-brown feathers on their backs, with cool cinnamon and grayish spots. Their tail feathers are dark brown, and the outer ones have faint light bars and white spots at the tips. Their wings are mostly dark brown with a thin white bar and white spots.
The male's chin and upper throat are dark brown, but the lower throat is white. Their chest is dark brown with light bars, and their belly is light with brown bars. Female nightjars are more brownish than blackish. Their wing spots and bars are smaller and buffy (a light yellowish-brown) instead of white. The white spots on their tails are also smaller.
Where It Lives
The Roraiman nightjar lives in the tepui region. Tepuis are like giant, flat-topped mountains found where southeastern Venezuela, southwestern Guyana, and northernmost Brazil meet.
This bird likes open areas such as savannas (grassy plains), clearings in forests, and the edges of forests. It usually lives at high elevations, between 1,280 and 1,800 meters (4,200 to 5,900 feet) in Venezuela. However, it has been seen as low as 850 meters (2,800 feet) in Guyana.
Behavior
Feeding Habits
The Roraiman nightjar is a nocturnal bird, meaning it is active at night. Scientists don't know much about how it hunts for food. It might fly out from the ground or a low branch to catch insects, or it might hunt while flying continuously.
Reproduction
Not much is known about how the Roraiman nightjar reproduces. Like other nightjars, it is believed to lay one or two eggs directly on the ground.
Vocalization
The Roraiman nightjar has a unique song. It sounds like a "burry hreeer" that starts low, rises in pitch, and then falls again. It repeats this sound every 1 to 2 seconds.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has assessed the Roraiman nightjar as a species of "Least Concern." This means that, for now, it is not considered to be in danger of disappearing. Even though we don't know the exact number of these birds, their population is thought to be stable.
One of the main concerns for this bird is changes to its habitat. When the special plants of the tepui region are changed, they don't grow back the same way. Instead, different plants grow that are not as good for the nightjar.
 | Jessica Watkins |
 | Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. |
 | Mae Jemison |
 | Sian Proctor |
 | Guion Bluford |
